Happy Friday!

The weekend is here! Mom and I just booked our shore excursions... very exciting! Now that the cruise is just two weeks away, we are really get anxious to go! Some fun in the sun will be awesome!

I'm about to make the dash to the ferry - nothing like a little trip over to Vancouver on a Friday afternoon! I'll be away for a couple of days so thought I would share the rest of the swap cards that I received a couple of weeks ago before I go...

This first one is from Melanie... she did a different size of card to keep things interesting! This card is 5 1/4" square. She's used a few different stamps on it - All Through the Year, Print Pattern, Much Appreciated and Riveting. I like the colour combination - Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand and Confetti White.

Next is Sonia's card. She's used the Print Pattern background stamp as well - this is such a versatile stamp! Keeping with the masculine theme on this card, Sonia kept things simple and added a greeting from the All-Year Cheer I set. She's used Old Olive, More Mustard and Night of Navy on this card and then accented with a piece of ribbon out of the Prep School Ribbon Originals and some silver brads.

Lucie used the Polished Stone technique to create the great background piece for this card. We'll be learning the Polished Stone technique at my next Techniques III class on April 4th - there are still a couple of seats available if you want to register! Lucie has used the Artifacts set for the clock stamp and the greeting comes from the Wonderful Words set. This reminds me that I haven't used my Wonderful Words set in a while so I must pull it out! I love the script writing on this set...

Here is Suzanne's card... perfect for a birthday card or maybe even a Father's Day card. Suzanne has stamped the word "daddy" using the new Doodle Alphabet set from the Spring Mini Catalogue. And, she's stamped the background piece with a little stamp out of the Lovely as a Tree set. The colours are nice for this card - Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel and Confetti Cream. A little tearing, some sponging and four brads finish off this card nicely.

Keeping up with the father theme, here's Robin's card. This one used the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set along with the "Happy Father's Day" greeting from the All-Year Cheer II set. The striped paper is from Four-Seasons Designer Series Paper package and it goes nicely with the Bravo Burgundy, So Saffron and Very Vanilla card stock that Robin has used.

And, one final card... Deb went with a spring theme on her card using the Petal Prints stamp set (one of my favourites!) along with a greeting from the Reason to Smile hostess stamp set. Great spring colours on this card - So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Pale Plum with Whisper White. I really like the layout and have seen this on a couple of different cards.

Thanks to everyone for the swap cards and the inspiration!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Cruising, cruising, cruising!

We're down to only 16 more sleeps until Mom and I leave for our Panama Canal cruise! I'm really starting to get excited now... This is a card that I had at the last Stamp-A-Stack - I really wanted to use the Balmy Breezes stamp set! I love these colours together and they're not colours that I would tend to use - Always Artichoke with Really Rust. Notice how the Twill Tape has been stamped just to add a little extra detail.

Our travel package arrived today! Look at this great little pouch that Stampin' Up! sent everything in... it matches the passport holder they had sent me last fall. I love it!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Easter Egg Package!

Here's a cute idea... These were made by Maggie and are just the neatest little Easter packages. There is a little Easter egg tucked inside these little bunny rabbits! So fun!! You can get an idea of the size by looking at the ears which were made with the large and small oval punches. I just had a chance to snap this photo, but didn't take any measurements - I'm sure they wouldn't be too difficult to figure out though! I think these would make really nice little table decorations for Easter brunch or dinner.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

Bunny Hugs

This is a card that I designed for a stamping class last week. It was a hit! I used the new stamp set "Bunny Hugs" from the Spring Mini Catalog along with the Petals & Paisleys Designer Series Paper. One detail that I really like is the corners that have been rounded (using the Corner Rounder Punch).

The Petals & Paisleys Designer Series Paper is beautiful. Many people who have seen it are amazed by how much nicer it looks in person. The colours are more vivid than they appear in the Mini Catalogue. I'm looking forward to using more of it!

Have a great week! And, happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Fun with Tag Punches

This cute card was one of the make and takes at our last demonstrator meeting. It is so adorable with the little punch out window - the bunny tag is attached to a piece of silver cord and is suspended in the window. When you open the card, there's an identical tag on the inside. This uses both sizes of the Tag Punches - the small one to punch out the bunny and the larger one to punch out the window. The bunny stamp is from the hostess stamp set called Tags So Much.

Alicia brought this great mini card for us to make and it inspired the card below that I had at this weekend's Stamp-A-Stack. It was very popular... I'm sure we'll see this design find its way back in other cards in the future! Thanks for the inspiration, Alicia!

I hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy the sunshine today! I was so excited to be wearing my sunglasses when I was driving up island this afternoon... It was so wonderful to see the sun!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Stamping for an important cause

After the Stamp-A-Stack yesterday, Mom and I headed out to Sooke to my friend Sonia's house where she was having a stamping day... It was so nice to be able to sit and stamp cards! I realized how relaxing it is to stamp when someone else has designed and cut the card for you!! What a fun couple of hours we had!! These are the cards that we stamped - click on the photos to enlarge.

Sonia was doing this stamping day as a fundraiser with all of the proceeds going to the BC Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Along with family and friends, Sonia will be walking in the Relay for Life on June 15th in honour of her Mom, Rose, who is a cancer survivor. Rose doesn't know about this yet and I can't wait to hear how she'll react when she hears about this tremendously caring gesture that those close to her are working on. I've decided to walk with Sonia's team to do what I can to help.

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon of stamping, Sonia! And, good luck to Rose's Buds in the Relay for Life!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

The Oval Punches Return!

I know many of you had a chance to make the daisy flower card made with the small oval punch at a Stamp-A-Stack a few months ago... Well, here's another take on this wonderful card! This one actually uses both the large and small oval punches. Another great addition on this card is that edges of all the petals have been sponged with Sahara Sand ink and then the little line was drawn on with a Blender Pen and Sahara Sand ink to give the petal some depth. Punches are so much fun...!!

I'm just waiting for this morning's Stamp-A-Stack to begin - the stampers have 12 cards to select from this month... I'll share a couple more of them with you tomorrow!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

PS - remember, the one thing that's good about rainy weather is that it's the perfect time to stamp!

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

How cute is this?

We found this adorable card on Splitcoast... Isn't it great? Mom made this one following the sample and I just love it! Another wonderful use of the punches!

So, can you guess how the basket is made? Well, the handle is the two oval punches - punch with the small oval first and then you can line up the large oval to make the handle. Remember to use your punch upside down so you can see where you are going to punch. And, the basket is the new Round Tab Punch from the Spring Mini Catalogue... It's punched and then folded in half. Then just use a Stampin' Write Marker to draw the "weaving" on the basket. Oh, and the little Easter eggs - 1/4 inch circles - click on the picture for a larger image of this card and to see all of the details.

Okay, where is spring??? It's supposed to be warm and sunny today... enough rain already! Oh well, it's good stamping weather!

If you're looking for something to do on Friday evening, there are still seats left in the Stamp-A-Stack. Contact me (bevennis@shaw.ca) to register!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Welcome Spring!

I'm so excited that spring is here... I love to see the daffodils and tulips make their appearance, the trees budding and of course, the sunshine! And, this spring I have my Stampin' Up! cruise to look forward to... only 23 more sleeps until we leave! The only challenge between now and then is deciding what to pack!! I've been shopping for all of my new cruise clothes but I always pack way more than I need... this time, I want to keep plenty of space for all the goodies that I will be bringing back with me! ; )

Here's a great spring card that I received in our swap from Stacey. She's used the new Doodle This set from the Spring Mini Catalogue along with the word "spring" from the Everyday Flexible Phrases set. The cut out flowers just pop off the card. Thanks for another great card, Stacey!

Well, I'm enjoying one last day off today and am just about to pack up for tonight's stamping class and then will be putting the final touches on the cards for this weekend's Stamp-A-Stack... there are still a few seats open for Friday night if you are interested in coming out to stamp!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Stamp-A-Stack and more swapping...

I love this stamp set from the Spring Mini Catalogue - it's called Bundle of Joy and is shown on page 22. This is a card that I made yesterday... This will be one of the cards available at this weekend's Stamp-A-Stack. There are still lots of seats open on Friday night and only one open for Saturday morning so be sure to register really soon if you'd like to come! There are lots of other great cards for you to pick from. Email me at bevennis@shaw.ca to register or for more information.

This next card was one of our make and takes at our meeting last night. Sonia made this card for us. I like this floppy little bear. Such a cute card that could be easily changed from Pretty in Pink to Bashful Blue for a little boy.

Well, I must get back to stamping... I just had an order arrive with the Bunny Hugs set so I'm off to put it together and make a card for a stamping class tomorrow night! Hope you'll come join us at the Stamp-A-Stack!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Super Swaps!

After my downline meeting tonight, I have some super new swap cards to share with you! I really appreciate all of the work and creativity that goes into the swaps that I receive from my fellow demonstrators. Our theme this month was either masculine or spring cards... quite a diverse theme!

This first card is Maggie's work. Maggie is really loving the Oval Punches - she has been very creative with the flowers that she is making with these punches and she's also been using them to make frogs and bunnies. Very nice spring card, Maggie!

Alicia took up the challenge to create a masculine card. She used the Autumn Leaf Prints set along with the Warmest Regards hostess stamp set. I like the colours on this card - Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, and Really Rust. The roughed up edges and the hemp wrapped around the leaf image really add a rustic, masculine look to this card. We missed you tonight, Alicia - thanks for the great swap card and congratulations on your house sale! : )

I'll be back tomorrow with some more great card samples so be sure to check in!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Why is it so difficult...

to make masculine cards? I have stacks of cute flower stamps, but not so many stamps that work well for men. Here's one that would be great though... The "In the Wild" stamp set certainly has lots of possibilities for more manly cards. I just made this one for this month's swap with my downline group... I like the colours - Sahara Sand and Always Artichoke framed with Basic Black. The elephant is stamped on Whisper White card stock in Basic Black ink then coloured with the Sahara Sand Stampin' Write Marker. I've also used the Weathered background stamp and the greeting comes from the "It's Your Birthday" stamp set. I added a couple of brads to dress the card up a bit.

I hope you've had a great weekend! I'm off to make 9 more of these cards for the swap - I look forward to sharing the cards I receive back from this swap with you this week!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Finding a great colour combination...

This is a card that we made at Alicia's house last month... Alicia designed this one and I was really excited about the colour combination - Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery and So Saffron... If you were at the last Stamp-A-Stack, you'll know that I'm kind of hooked on the Taken with Teal or Tempting Turquoise with Certainly Celery combo. I think I had three cards made with these colours.

So, how do you come up with great colour combinations?? Of course, you will know that I often depend on the Colour Coach (shown on page 200 of the Idea Book & Catalogue). Now, here's another great resource... a website that gives you hundreds of Stampin' Up! colour combinations: click here. Just pick a colour or two and then hit search and you'll get a bunch of different colour combinations to try! Have fun!!

I'm happy to be feeling better... The worst part of my cold was that it left me without energy. After falling asleep at 7:00 last night and sleeping through most of the night, I woke up feeling quite a bit better this morning. Thank goodness! It's time to get back to stamping now!! : )

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Sniffles...

Well, after feeling lucky for having avoided all the colds and flus so far this winter, I'm sniffling... : (

I took a day off today to rest and hopefully speed up the recovery. I'm feeling not too bad. I had a glass of Clamato juice this afternoon - I've never been a chicken noodle soup fan, but always loved Clamato juice as a treat when I was a kid. So, when I was sick, my Dad would bring me some Clamato juice. Somehow I remember it working so much more when I was younger than it seems to now! I'm trying a new trick now... Mom brought me a Caramilk Dark Chocolate Bar this afternoon. Wow, it's delicious!! Maybe it will have me feeling better!!

Okay, back to stamping! This is a card that I created about a year ago. It uses the Joseph's Coat Technique - I love the vibrant colours that this technique brings out. We just did this card last week at my Techniques II class along with the five different techniques instruction pages. If you are interested in learning fun stamping techniques, plan to come to my series of Techniques classes - you learn five techniques at each class and create instruction pages for a techniques book. The next class is Techniques III on April 4th when we will be doing Crayon Resist, Faux Leather, Polished Stone, Shaving Cream and Wax Paper Resist techniques. Contact me for more information or to register at bevennis@shaw.ca.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Easter Inspiration

Have you been wondering where I am? Just been busy and not had much time to stamp... I'm actually feeling some withdrawal symptoms!

We are over in Vancouver for the weekend. We went to the Vancouver Giants hockey game tonight... Interesting game, but as it turned out, the Giants scored the winning goal 31 seconds into the game - it was 8-0 for the Giants!

Okay, back to stamping... Here's a cute Easter card. I love the spring colours - Lavender Lace, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Barely Banana. There's some faux stitching along the side and a little touch of ribbon (of course - I rarely manage to design a card that doesn't use ribbon!).

I'm away until Sunday evening and then hope to have some new card creations to share with you next week.

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Guest Artist

Mo Dickie, a demonstrator from Toronto, sent me some great cards made with the Office Accoutrement stamp set from the Spring Mini Catalogue. The office supply theme is so popular in scrapbooking and card making... these cards are perfect examples!

This first one is so cute... You could easily add a little note or photo into the file folder on the front - this would be a cute addition to a scrapbook page as well. Notice how Mo used the new Round Tab Punch on to make the little tab on the piece of Very Vanilla card stock.

The next one would be fun for someone's birthday card - you could mark their birthday on the little calendar piece. And, this would be another piece that could be incorporated into a scrapbook page with photos from a birthday gathering.


A couple more cute cards...












And, a tag that would be so fun on a scrapbook page. The paper clip is holding the little folder closed, but it's a perfect spot to add some special journaling...

Thank you so much, Mo. This was so sweet of you!

Happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Beautiful thank you gift

This is a thank you gift that I received from Stacey last week. What a wonderful surprise! Stacey had found the pattern for this box online but the pattern was for a much smaller box. She adjusted the pattern to make a bigger box - this one is just the right size to fit a bag of candy kisses which is what Stacey filled my box with. Wow, I would have been excited with just a box but add in chocolates and I was thrilled!

I love the card... pink and brown - my favourite colours right now! I'm planning to include this card in the next Stamp-A-Stack on March 23rd and 24th. Speaking of the Stamp-A-Stack, there are still lots of space available for both Friday night and Saturday morning... if you would like to come and stamp some great cards, please send me an email at bevennis@shaw.ca to register!

Sorry that it's been a few days since I've blogged... been keeping busy and not having much stamping time. I'm looking forward to having time for a few projects this week. I'm anxious to play with some of the Spring Mini Catalogue products that I have waiting for me!

I hope you've had a great weekend! I'll be back soon... until then, happy stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)

Gettin' punchy!

Here's creativity at its finest! Stacey Rumsby, a demonstrator in my downline, came up with this card idea shortly after we received the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set. When she was describing her idea to me on the phone, I couldn't see what she was seeing... then I received this card in our swap last month and now I get it!

Stacey used the flower for the eyes and eyelashes. The flower stem became the smile. The nose is the little circle at the base of the flower. She sponged on some blush and added some punched out daisies for the hair... The finishing touch is in the ribbon and Hodgepodge Hardware piece to create the bow. Pretty cute and very creative!

Stacey sent this card into Stampin' Up! for an art contest that they are having for demonstrators. Good luck, Stacey - you have my vote! : )

Happy creative stampin'!

Bev.

(All images copyright 1990-2007 Stampin' Up!)